Interlocking roofing unit



Jan. 16, 1940. W L, ROWE JINTVERLOCKING ROOFING UNIT 3 Sheevts-Sheet 1Filed Oct. 1, 1937 INVENTOR. W/L//mf/ .50%

ATTORNEY Fiul.

| v l I l l Jah. 16, 1940. w. l.. RowE INTERLOCKING ROOFING .UNIT

Filed Oct. l, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i HG JNVENTOR. WMU/m4 Ron/.F

BY 4/ l ATTORNEY Jan. 16, 1940. W, L, ROWEr 2,187,139

. INTERLOCKING ROOFING UNIT Filed oct. 1, 1937 s sheetsheet s FL 10IifJi,

li-fhlh.y y y l P51115.

INVENTOR l/l//u/AM L Aowf BY/M. 16%@ ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 16, 1940AUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,181,139 nr'rEaLocmNG aooFING UNITApplication October 1, 1937, Serial No. 166,757

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in shingles and siding units, andparticularly to shingles and siding units which may be applied so as tointerlock with adjacent units to provide a durable and weatherproofcovering.

Various forms of interlocking means such as tongues and notches formingan integral part oi the shingle unit have been proposed heretofore forconventional types of shingle units formed from a base of asphaltsaturated felt. Shingles of this type exhibit a relatively high degreeof resiliency and flexibility, and integral interlocking means proposedheretofore which require pronounced iiexing lof the shingle materialhave been employed with satisfactory results in connection with suchproducts.

Roofing units made from asbestos-cement compositions compared withsaturated felt prod= ucts have certain distinct advantages particularlywith respect to durability and flreproofness. However, due to therelative inexibility and tendency to rupture when exed exhibited byasbestos-cement sheets, it has not been considered feasible heretoforeto provide shingles oi' this type with integral interlocking means.

l have 'ascertained that shingles may be made from certain types ofasbestos=cement sheets.

and that such shingles, while capable of being only relatively slightlyexed without rupture and hence incapable of use with conventional formsof integral interlocking means employed on exible saturated feltshingles, do have a limited degree of exibility and may be readily andsatis:Y

factorily applied in an interlocked relation by providing the shingleunits with an interlocking tongue having a particular configuration.

My invention has been found to be especially applicable to shinglesformed from semi-flexible asbestos-cement sheet -material such asthatpro 'characterized by relatively extreme rigidity.

Compared to asbestos-cement shingles of the usual type, thesemi-flexible asbestos-cement shingles of the type to :which myinvention is especially applicable arelrelatively ilexible, but

are relatively rigid compared to shingles made from a base consisting ofasphalt saturated fielt.

The primary object of my invention is the pro- (Cl. 10S-8) vision of ashingle of the semi-ilexible type such as semi-flexible asbestos-cementshingles with integral interlocking means whereby such shingles may bereadily and satisfactorily assembled in aninterlocked relation in theformation of a roof covering.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description thereof taken in connection with thedrawings, wherein Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are plan views of three types ofsemi-flexible shingle units, each being adapted for a specic type ofapplication.

Fig. 4 illustrates a roof covering formed of units shown in lFig. 1applied in a side-lap or Dutch Lap style.

Fig. 5 illustrates a roof covering formed of units shown in Fig. 2applied in the so-called wide space style.

Fig. 6 illustrates a roof covering formed of units as shown in Fig. 3applied in Diamond style.

Fig.`7 illustrates a modied form of the unit shown in Fig. l, and

Fig. 8 shows two such units in an assembled relation.

Fig. 9 is a detailed sectional view taken along 9m@ of Fig. 8.

Figs. lll-l5, inclusive, illustrate modied forms of the interlockingtongue.

The shingle units are formed of a dense sheet material capable of arelatively limited degree vof exing without breaking. vPreferablmtl'iisma- Y terial consists of a thin, semi-exible'sheet of a densiiledasbestos-cementl composition wherein the asbesto fibres extend in adirection generally parallel to the surface of the sheet such as isvdescribed in U. S. Patent No. 2,080,285.1: Mac- Ildowie.` I n yReferringto Fig. 1, a rectangularshaped'shingie unit i, cut from a thin sheet ofthe above described asbestos-cement composition, is provided in itslower marginal portion adjacent one corner with an integral lockingtongue 2. This tongue is formed in the body of the shingle by providingan opening'therein consisting of an angular slot I leading from thelower edge of the shingle and terminating in a cut-out portion l.v Thistype of unit is adapted to be applied in aside-lap relation as shown inFig. 4, the tongue being depressed sumciently to engage beneath the edgeof the lower corner of the adjacent shingle inthe same course and theshingle then being brought into alignment by. abutting the side edge ofthe overlapped shingle against the right-hand edge of the cut-out andthen nailed at opposite corners as shown. In

order to interlock the units, the interlocking tongue must be depressedfrom the plane of the body of the shingle a distance at least equal tothe thickness of the shingle and this deilection may be accomplishedreadily and without rupture of the sheet material by reason of thecutout .portion I. Referring to the detail views showing differentmodiilcations of the locking tongue Figs. 10-15, the depth a of thiscut-out is preferably considerably greater than the thickness of theshingle, for example, for a'shingle in thickness, this dimension shouldpreferably be not less than 56 of an inch and suitably about 1".

In the unit illustrated in Fig. 2, a locking tongue similar to thatemployed in unit I is provided adjacent each of the lower corners, andthis unit is therefore adapted to be applied in the wide space stylewith each of the lower corners interlocked with the side edge of anadjacent shingle as illustrated in Fig. 5.

The unit illustrated in Fig. 3 is also provided with two similarinterlocking tongues opposed to each other and adjacent a corner of theunit and is adapted to be applied in Diamondstyle as illustrated in Fig.6.

The modiiied forms of the interlocking tongue, illustrated in Fig. 7 andFigs. 10-15, inclusive, all function and embody the same principle asthat illustrated in Fig. 1. In each instance the locking tongue isformed by an opening extending into the body of the shingle from an edgethereof and is integrally connected thereto along a line of integralconnection B, and an opening is provided in the body of the shingleextending from the point of intersection of the upper boundary of thetongue and the line of integral connection, the depth of this opening abeing of sumcient length to permit the required deflection of thelocking tongue without breaking the sheet material. In general thedimension a 'should be not less than about-eight times the thickness ofthe shingle and suitably about 16 times the thickness in the case ofsemi-ilexible asbestos-1 cement shingles. One edge of this opening ispreferably a prolongation of the line of integral connection andperpendicular to the-lower edge of the shingle, thereby serving as ameans for aligning a side edge of the adjacent interlocked shingle.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 a recess 5 is provided in the lowermarginal portion of the Vshingle opposite the locking tongue. Ininterlocking this shingle, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the locking tongueof shingle N is deflected downwardly and pushed underneath the .edgeportion 1 of the recess l of a previously applied shingle ll until edgeI is brought into abutting contactwithedge'Ltheextentoftheoverlapbeingde termined by the distance of edgel and edge 1l from' the adjacent lateral edge and stituted by the sum ofthe dimensions C and D A slot or opening t is preferably providedopening into the inner corner`o! the recess I for the purpose ofpermitting lip portion l of the overlapped portion ot the shingle toalso iiex slightly when the shinglesv are interlocked, thereby furtherreducing any tendency towards breaking of the sheet material. Variousother modifications may be made in ,the shingle shown in Fig. '1, forexample, the shingle may be cut along dotted line E so as to provide acut-out of substantial width above the locking tongue and, also, recessmay be spaced a suitable distance from the adjacent lateral edge of theshingle in place of opening directly into said edge. Also, in place ofemploying the locking tongue illustrated, any of the other modifiedforms of llocking tonguesv shown may be substituted therefor.

What I claim is: Q

1. A semi-rigid asbestos-cement shingle capable of only slight ilexingwithout fracture, to be laid with similarly shaped shingles, saidshingle having a locking tongue formed in and integraily connected tothe body portion thereof, said tongue being denned by an openingextending inwardly from an edge of the shingle, said opening havinganedge projecting substantially perpendicularly with respect to saidshingle edge and inwardly from the intersection of the upper boundary ofsaidtongue with the line of integral connection of the tongue to theshingle a distance not less than substantially eight times the thicknessof the shingle to permit deiiection of the tongue without rupture of thematerial.

2. A semi-rigid asbestos-cement shingle capable of only slight flexingwithout fracture, to be laid in interlocking relationship with anadjacent similar covering element, said shingle having a locking tonguecapable of being deflected from the plane of the shingle a sumcientdistance to permit its engagement under an edge of said adjacent similarcovering element, said tongue being denned by an openingextendinginwardly from an'edge of the shingle, said opening having an edgeprojecting substantially perpendicularly to said shingle edge andinwardly from the intersection oi' the upper boundary of said tonguewith the line of integral connection of said tongue to said shingle adistance not less than substantially eight times the thickness of theshingle to permit the required deflection of the tongue without ruptureot the material, said projecting edge of said opening serving as meansfor alinement of the shingle in a predetermined position by its abutmentagainst the edge of the interlocked portion of said adjacent similarcovering element.

WILLIAM L. ROWI.

